Smithsonian National Postal Museum

A New Home for a National Treasure 

National Postal Museum

Gallery Opening September 22, 2013

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  • Introduction
  • Gallery Themes
    • World of Stamps
    • Gems of American Philately
    • Mail Marks History
    • Connect with U.S. Stamps
    • National Stamp Salon
    • Stamps Around the Globe
    • Supporting Areas
      • China & USA through Philately
  • News & Updates
  • William H. Gross
  • Founding Donors
  • Donors

Gems of American Philately

In this dramatically lit space, visitors have the privilege of examining 13 of the most rare and highly valued gems in the world of philately—including the most famous U.S. stamp of all, the 1918 Inverted Jenny. An immersive video explains why the Inverted Jenny and other stamps displayed here are philatelic gems.

The treasures in this area are rarely available for public viewing. Each tells a story about a significant milestone in U.S. history—from one of the surviving revenue stamp proofs of the 1765 Stamp Act that so infuriated the American colonists, to a lunar mail cover postmarked on the Moon by astronaut Dave Scott in 1971.

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Gems of American Philately area design concept
Above: Gems of American Philately area design concept
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